The planting of plants such as vegetables, flowers, and tree seedlings is a tedious and arduous task, even when the soil into which the plants are being inserted has been previously tilled or cultivated. The most tiring aspect of the planting operation arises from the fact that one must repeatedly bend over and/or kneel for long periods of time. This is compounded by the fact that planting often occurs in the hot sun.
Another difficulty that gardeners encounter during planting operations is the lack of a convenient apparatus for carrying the plants that are to be planted. Plants frequently are provided in plastic trays which include partitions dividing the tray into a plurality of cells or sections, each of which holds a plant to be planted. While these trays function well as a place in which to grow a plant from a seed, the trays are not easily carried by one planting the plants.
Aside from considerations relating to the gardener, it is also believed that a newly planted plant will have a much better chance for survival if the plant is promptly watered and/or fertilized after being planted. Typically, once a garden has been planted, the gardener will either water the entire garden with a hose or a sprinkler-type irrigation device, an indiscriminate approach which leads to an abundance of weeds, or the gardener will individually water each newly planted plant with a watering can or similar apparatus, a process which is tiring and time consuming. Also, because it will often take several hours to plant a garden or a substantial section thereof, some of the plants may have to wait an excessively long time before receiving water and/or fertilizer.
Another problem associated with prior methods and apparatus for planting plants is the lack of an effective mechanism by which the gardener can judge whether or not each plant is being planted in a suitably straight row and evenly spaced from the adjacent rows. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, planting plants in straight rows, an equal distance from adjacent rows, provides a garden that is easier to weed and otherwise maintain. Also, if each plant is spaced a consistent distance from adjacent plants, the plants are more likely to receive a more uniform amount of light and water, resulting in a more consistent harvest of the plants themselves, and/or the fruits, vegetables, and flowers thereof.